Performare la specie
Animal drag, eteronormatività, riconoscimento
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13131/2611-657X.whatever.v1i1.11Keywords:
animals, performativity, queer theory, animal drag, animal agencyAbstract
In the novel Birdy, William Wharton tells the story of a boy who wants to become a bird. The process of building a post-human subjectivity on the part of the protagonist can be explored through some conceptual tools attributable to queer theory, in particular that of “performativity” developed by Judith Butler. These theoretical constructs will be reviewed in relation to the construction of the species binarism ( “performativity of species”, “animal drag”, etc.) and the processes through which the human and non-human identity, and their relationships, emerge. The reinterpretation of Birdy will consider the fluctuation between failure and success of parody, between subversion and reinforcement of hegemonic norms of human exceptionalism. The destabilization of species boundaries cannot be undertaken individually: this fact highlights the role of animal agency and the relational feature of the transition as process developing around the recognition of a non-human subject. Taking into account the intersection of species and gender matrixes – the protagonist embodies a particular type of resistance against heteronormativity –, I will try to investigate the conditions under which it is possible to speak of animality as an “action" rather than as an “essence” or an “attribute”.
Nel romanzo Birdy, William Wharton narra la storia di un ragazzo che vuole diventare un uccello. Il processo di costruzione di una soggettività postumana da parte del protagonista può essere letto attraverso il concetto di “performatività” (Judith Butler), in relazione alla costruzione del binarismo di specie e ai processi attraverso i quali emergono le identità umane e animali. La rilettura di Birdy tiene conto dell’oscillazione fra fallimento e successo della parodia, fra sovversione e rafforzamento delle norme egemoni dell’eccezionalismo umano. Il carattere inevitabilmente non individuale di tale impresa di destabilizzazione dei confini di specie fa emergere il ruolo dell’agency animale e il carattere relazionale del passing in quanto processo che necessita del riconoscimento da parte di un soggetto non umano. Considerando l’intersezione fra matrici di specie e di genere, si cerca di indagare a quali condizioni sia possa parlare di animalità come “azione”, anziché come “essenza” o “attributo”.
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